Ber Months: Jose Mari Chan Rewrites Song to be Apt with the Quarantined Times

Wazzup Pilipinas!

"Whenever I see girls and boys selling lanterns on the street I remember the child in the manger as he sleeps"

Ilonggo songwriter Jose Mari Chan has also “rewritten” his classic hit “Can We Just Stop and Talk Awhile” to lighten the mood amid the COVID-19 pandemic. He changed the lyrics to be appropriate for the new normal, adding words such as Internet, surfing and chat, FaceTime, and quarantine.

Chan is also known for his Christmas classic “Christmas in Our Hearts” which has been the subject of various social media memes.

BTW, this year marks the 30th year of Christmas in our Hearts and tomorrow is the start of the Christmas season here in the Philippines! I can't wait to hear Jose Mari Chan's voice again. I can almost hear his voice come September 1.

The 3 most famous characters during Christmas season:

1. Jesus Christ
2. Santa Claus
3. Jose Mari Chan

Hope we will have better days in the Ber months inspite of the Corona virus (Covid-19) still lingering in the air.

Pero bakit nung nakita ni Jose Mari Chan yung girls and boys selling lanterns on the street, ang naisip niya si baby Jesus,  at hindi yung unjust society that made kids have to work to survive? Lol!

Because probably baby Jesus is also a casualty of an unjust society. Being born on a stable manger due to poor parents.

According to the Bible stories, Joseph, a descendant of David, was born in Bethlehem. And in that time, a decree from Rome stated that there will be a census, so technically, Joseph and Mary were required to go to Bethlehem for them to be listed as part of the population.

The prophet Isaiah already prophesized that Jesus will be born in a manger? As per scripture, it is all in God's plan. Jesus was sent to earth not to fight the sin who is the real oppressor.

But most probably, it was also because of atrocities not highlighted by the church, like the Roman Imperial government requiring them to pay absurd taxes in Bethlehem. Why else would they travel at the height of Mary's pregnancy if it wasn't life and death. The child Jesus had to be born in a manger because there was no more room in any inn in Bethlehem during peak season because Joseph and Mary had to pay taxes to a foreign imperial government and mandatorily travel miles from the comfort of their home at the height of Mary's pregnancy.

Rumor has it that Jose Mari Chan romanticized child labor in that particular song. He is said to be a capitalist, and a union buster, a labor rights violator thus we should cancel him and find other Christmas songs instead because we shouldn't tolerate any capitalist.... and yes this is also political.

He and his family are in business and have been implicated in union busting since 2004.

Ahhh yes. The song is romanticizing poverty as if being poor is a gift from God kasi pag mahirap ka sa lupa, yayaman ka raw sa langit.

Baby Jesus was LITERALLY born in a manger, sabsaban. Not even in an inn. Is He not representative of an unjust society in His times? Ipapanganak ka pa lang may injustice na sayo, sa nanay mo?

Actually, you cannot separate Jesus and i justice. If you're a Christian and you understood and lived the life of Jesus - from his birth to his death, and even His disciples' ministry, you cannot separate the concept of social justice.

Injustice nga yun. Kakapanganak pa lang naka experience na ng injustice si Jesus. The greatest and last was His crucifixion.

Pero bakit pati kanta ginagawan ng issue? Ang tagal tagal na nito? I sold lanterns on the street when I was a kid but not because I had to... so, dapat di tayo nag-aassume agad. Hindi na lang din ako magka-caroling kahit kelan, kahit anong taon! Nakaka-stress na pala kahit ang Christmas songs ngayon. Just enjoy the memes. Lol!

The Filipino excitement for Jose Mari Chan in heralding the Ber Months can be a testimony of our overflowing love for Christmas, on which as his song goes, "This season may we never forget, the love we have for Jesus."

December 25 belongs to Jesus Christ.

But the days leading to that -- starting from September 1 up until the last minute of December 24 -- all these still belong to Jose Mari Chan.